The Call for Devotion: Emphasis on Prayer.
Written: December 17th, 2018
Earlier this morning I was watching a video on some incoming SAS candidates going through different tests. A video that has circled parts of Facebook to which some of you may have already seen. In this video they were conducting a test on overcoming a simple fear, the fear of the unknown. The candidates were to stand at the edge of this diving platform and face with their backs towards the water. They were then instructed to close their eyes and complete a backwards dive. The dive is not in and of itself complex however if done wrong then it would certainly hurt. In order to complete the dive successfully there can not be any hesitation or fear. As this hesitation could affect your form and either have you hit the water on your back or over rotate and smack the water with your chest. The video goes on showing man after man attempting the dive some successfully completing while other hesitate and smack the water painfully. There was then this one solider that stood on the platform and had a moment of fear. He then paused and stood in a position of prayer and proceeded to pray to Allah. As this solider then went on to explain in a brief interview afterwards that he was Muslim and would pray at least 5 times a day as his devotion to Islam is what gave him the strength to live day to day and complete whatever challenge is given to him.
This is a common practice for Muslims. Salah or Namaz is one of the five pillars of the Islam faith and is observed by most all who practice the Islamic faith. You may have studied world religion or know this through some medium or another. However, Salah calls for about 5 moments of prayer a day at specific times in which they put aside whatever they are doing in the moment and observe this practice. One that starts standing, then kneeling prostrate, and finally sitting. It is a very specific practice and is an obligation to all who claim to Muslim. Through this practice they will recite specific prayers but also prayers of supplication or also known as “request brought before Allah.” Now you may wonder what’s my point of explaining this practice.
After watching this video and reading up on the practice of Salah, it got me truly thinking. If there is one thing that you could take away from the above practice, its that Muslims are very regimented in there practices and very devoted to their religion. Now as Christians we claim to follow the one and only true God. As we believe in accordance to scripture that He is true and there is none like him nor any other god besides Him. (Isaiah 43:11, Deuteronomy 4:35, 1 Kings 8:60, 1 Samuel 2:2, etc..) Yet in our lives we do not reflect this. We say it but our hearts and actions do not show this. Now hear me out, here is what I am meaning to point out. We say that we believe our God is the only true god. That there is none like him in all the earth. None like him in all existence. That his glory is compared to none, nor his beauty or holiness is with compare. Simply think through and grasp the weight of this statement. There is nothing more beautiful, fulfilling, satisfying, glorious, magnificent, and so many more words that fail to truly begin to describe how good He is. Just how awe striking He is.
If we are honest with ourselves, we say we believe this but our actions do not reflect such. We believe in a God who is without compare yet we act like He is simply a bedtime story or something out of an old folklore book. I say this knowing that we all are guilty of this. I myself am guilty of this greatly. We neglect to truly pursue the Lord. All throughout the old testament especially through the Prophets the Lord speaks a great many times to his people that they may seek Him. It is commanded many times to His people that they would seek Him and simply acknowledge Him and His ways daily. Yet we consume ourselves with worldly pleasures and do not acknowledge the Lord through our lives except when maybe we say the pre-meal prayer, or when something horrific happens to or around us.
It is interesting because as with the Islamic practice they are very regimented and devoted because they want to obey so that they may enter paradise. That hopefully they would do enough to earn the approval of Allah to allow them entrance into paradise. Yet as Christians we know that through our brokenness and depravity there is no such way that we could earn our standing in the Lord. No matter what good we do nor however regimented we become we can not earn anything. That our place in the Lord is only because of what Christ has done on our behalf. Salvation is through Christ alone. Not based upon our own merits but the completed work of the Cross.
The joy and peace that presides within the Christian faith is truly amazing and surpasses all understanding. Who we say God is easily out weighs anything in the world. Yet some how we neglect to seek the Lord, to spend moments daily in prayer. We neglect to spend time with someone who actually loves us. Who knows our brokenness, weakness, short comings and still loves us. There is no approval that we must try and obtain, nothing that we can try to earn. If we began to grasp the weight of what we say we believe this would compel us to spend more time in prayer and just in awe of who God is. There would be a greater call to devotion. The beauty is that we seek the Lord because he desires to spend time with us. Not because we are earning anything but because he wants to be with us. He sent His only son that we may be brought back within right standing with him. A gift freely given to those who the Lord has revealed himself to.
I do not know about you but the freedom that this brings is outstanding. Our devotion to the Lord should be compelled by who He is. He came down from his throne in heaven and lived a life among men and died a death that was rightfully our punishment all that we may dwell with Him. The moment Christ died the temple veil was torn. No longer was the temple the place in which God’s presences dwelled through priests who were the mediators but now Christ who is our High Priest who dwells within us.
Take a moment to reflect in your own life and ask yourself where is your prayer life or your devotion to prayer? Ask yourself do you truly believe God is who He says He is, who you claim to believe He is? Now when you see where you have fallen short remember that grace is there. Grace given so that you may continue pursuing the Lord. Daily. Separating time to seek the Lord and acknowledge his ways because there you find peace, rest, and a love like no other. Because there is nothing to earn. He simply wants to be with you that you may know who He is. Which then compels you to live a life that brings him glory not out of a law but out of love.
Now take a moment and pray that through the Holy Spirit that God may reveal more of himself to you. More of his heart to you. Take time and simply pray.
There must be placed a greater emphasis on prayer within the Christian life. Within the church. His people can not expect to live a life with the Lord if not spending time with Him.
“Prayer is not a hard requirement-it is the natural duty of a creature to its creator, the simplest homage that human need can pay to divine liberality.” – Charles Spurgeon
“Unless we fix certain hours in the day for prayer, it easily slips from our memory.” – John Calvin
